Auburn is a historic college town, the largest city in eastern Alabama, and the home of Auburn University. Auburn has a surprising number of great parks, such as Chewacla State Park, the Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve, and Kiesel Park. The Auburn’s Julie Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art has 2,500 exceptional works of art.
Toomer's Corner
The intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue in Auburn, Alabama is known as Toomer's Corner and has a long history. The area is located between downtown Auburn and the university campus and is named for state senator and businessman Sheldon "Shel" Toomer.
Toomer founded Toomer's Drugs, which was located on this corner in 1896, and the store has been an Auburn landmark for more than 130 years.
Two large oaks were planted on the corner in 1937 and locals developed a tradition of “decorating” them with toilet paper to mark any Auburn celebration as well as anything good that happens in town. Today, the tradition is mainly used to celebrate football victories.
Chewacla State Park
Located just a short drive from the Auburn-Opelika area, 696-acre Chewacla State Park is a popular Auburn green area used by the locals for recreation and rest. The park has a beautiful 26-acre lake with a swimming area, a kids’ playground, a campground, and picnic areas with shelters, tables, and grills as well as six fully furnished stone cottages available for rent.
A network of hiking and biking trails runs through the park. The lake is popular with anglers – it is stocked with bream, bass, crappie, and catfish.
There are also two creeks that run into the lake. There is no boat ramp on the lake. Hikers and bikers can often spot squirrels, chipmunks, deer, red fox, and turkeys.
124 Shell Toomer Parkway, Auburn, Alabama 36830, Phone: 334-887-5621
Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve & Nature Center
The Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve & Nature Center is a 120-acre nature preserve located in Lee County, Alabama, between Auburn and Opelika.
The preserve was established in 1993 through a gift from Dr. Louise Kreher Turner and her husband Frank Allen Turner. It is operated today as an outreach program of the School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University.
The preserve consists of a nature playground, an amphitheater, a 150-seat meeting area, a fire pit, and a covered educational pavilion. There are also 30 trails that stretch more than 5 miles, with interpretative signs, restrooms, and drinking fountains.
The environmental education and outreach programs include animal encounters, guided walks, day camps, and pre-school programs.
N College St, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-844-8091
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
One of Alabama’s top art museums, the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art in Auburn has a growing collection of more than 2,500 works of art in wide range of styles and media. The museum is located at Auburn University’s main campus and consists of six galleries, an auditorium, a gift shop, an English-inspired formal area, a café, and a woodland landscape with outdoor sculpture and serene walking paths. As a part of the university, the mission of the museum is to interpret, enhance, and preserve artworks in the collection and make art a significant part of people’s daily lives. The museum occupies a 40,000 square-foot stunning modern building with a travertine stone exterior.
901 S College St, Auburn, AL 36830-5812, Phone: 334-844-1484
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Every football Saturday in Auburn, Alabama, Jordan-Hare Stadium transforms into one of Alabama's largest cities – over 75,000 season tickets have been sold over the last 18 years. The tenth-largest on-campus stadium in America, Jordan-Hare Stadium is the playing field for Auburn University's football team, the Auburn Tigers. Located on campus, the 87,451-seat stadium, which was completed in 1939, is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, the head coach of the university's football team with the most wins, and Cliff Hare, a dean of the Auburn University School of Chemistry, the president of the Southern Conference, and a member of Auburn's first football team. The grass turf is known as Pat Dye Field in honor of legendary coach Pat Dye.
251 South Donahue Drive, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-844-4750
Kiesel Park
Auburn's largest park, Kiesel Park, is also one of its most popular. It is a venue of many town events and celebrations, such as the Auburn CityFest, the Fall Sundown Concert Series, and the annual Easter egg hunt. The park has a pavilion, a pond, a garden, and a 4-mile-long scenic walking trail. The park is also the location of the 1850 Nunn-Winston House, one of Auburn’s finest examples of antebellum Greek revival architecture. The park has a popular off-leash dog area and is also a favorite local location for weddings.
Chadwick Ln, Auburn, AL 36832, Phone: 334-887-4938
Southeastern Raptor Center
The Southeastern Raptor Center is a fascinating place to visit, whether you are a fan of birds of prey or not. This educational and rehabilitation facility at Auburn University has helped, treated, and released thousands of local birds of prey back into the wild. They also spread the word about the danger birds of prey face today through hundreds of shows all over the state and region. The staff of the center's educational unit offers a program at the Edgar B. Carter Amphitheatre on Fridays before Auburn football games. This popular program is known as Football, Fans and Feathers, and it features free-flying hawks, falcons, and eagles, allowing guests to see the magnificent birds up close. Outside these special events, the center is not open to the public.
1350 Pratt-Carden Drive, Auburn, AL 36849, Phone: 334-844-6943
Davis Arboretum
The Donald E. Davis Arboretum is a 13.5-acre plant museum and a serene green space on the Auburn University campus, supported by the College of Sciences and Mathematics. The arboretum is a place where visitors can enjoy a natural setting and learn about Alabama’s native plants and habitats. The arboretum provides a home to a rich and diverse living collection of scientifically ordered plants, each with provenance documentation. It is also an outdoor classroom for the students of the university and local schools and various community groups. The main purposes of the arboretum are conservation, research, and education in support of Auburn University’s mission to preserve living native Southeastern plant communities. It also functions to protect the natural resource areas of the campus.
Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-844-5770
Plainsman Park
Plainsman Park, as Samford Stadium–Hitchcock Field is known locally, is the college baseball venue for the Auburn University Tigers, located at Plainsman Park. The stadium has a seating capacity of 4,096, and in 2003 was rated the best college baseball venue in the country by Baseball America. The park has a 37-foot-high left field fence, 315 feet from home plate. Plainsman Park was used as a baseball facility for the first time in 1950 and was radically renovated in 1996. The architect Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons drew design inspiration from famous ballparks such as Fenway Park, Camden Yards, and Wrigley Field. The stadium was renamed Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park in 1997, in honor of brothers Jimmy and Billy Hitchcock, and in 2003 it honored long-time trustee Jimmy Samford by renaming the facility Samford Stadium–Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park.
351 S Donahue Dr, Auburn, AL 36849-0001, Phone: 334-844-9750
Hickory Dickory Park
Hickory Dickory Park is a 12,000-square-foot park located on Hickory Lane in Auburn that is very popular with kids. It has two playground areas – one for preschool-aged children and the other for older kids. The preschool area has a sandbox, swings, a slide, a gear box, a wooden tractor, and a fun mirror. There is even a pretend Toomer’s Corner in the true spirit of Auburn, where children can sell pretend ice cream and lemonade, and a pretend College Street sidewalk, tiger paw prints and all, which is a great area to ride a tricycle. A covered pavilion contains picnic tables and benches where parents can watch the children and relax. The older children’s play area has three slides, swings, climbing ropes, a lookout tower, monkey bars, and plenty of room to run and play.
Hickory Ln and North Cedarbrook, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-501-2930
Roegner Park
Spanning over 20 acres along the banks of the White River, Roegner Park offers something for every visitor. Nature lovers can explore the park’s extensive trail system and observe plenty of wildlife including ducks and other waterfowl. The trails, which consist of both hard and soft surface sections, are great for a variety of users such as runners, cyclists, and even equestrian riders. The park is also home to picnic areas and a great play structure, perfect for families of all ages to enjoy together. Dog owners also frequent the park’s leash-free dog area, allowing their furry friends to run around and socialize. From the park’s beautiful scenery to its range of amenities, Roegner Park is a great place to enjoy the outdoors.
601 Oravetz Road Southeast, Auburn, Washington 98092, Phone: 253-931-3000
The Depot
Located in a beautifully renovated 1847 train depot in downtown Auburn, Alabama, The Depot is an upscale and surprisingly elegant Gulf Coast Brasserie with a relaxed ambiance, gorgeous original marble floors, leather banquettes, and magnificent chandeliers. Executive chef and co¬-owner Scott Simpson raises his Auburn food offer to a different level using wood barbecue and plating traditional Alabama Southern heritage dishes that are simple and wholesome. The globally inspired menu is followed by Southern-inspired pre-Prohibition cocktails, an extensive award-winning wine list, and an excellent selection of craft beer. Some of the outstanding dishes worth trying are the Carolina Mountain rainbow trout with Brussels sprout petals, butternut squash and pecan brown butter, and the Gourmet Gumbo Pot with Cajun-style andouille, okra, poblano rice, crawfish, and Gulf shrimp.
124 Mitcham Ave, Auburn, AL 36830-3803, Phone: 334-521-5177
Acre
Located only a couple of blocks from Auburn’s historic Toomer's Corner, Acre is an upscale restaurant with locally sourced, Southern-inspired fare, in-house made charcuterie, an extensive wine list, and imaginative cocktails. Acre uses fresh ingredients from their own gardens and local farms, preparing traditional Southern dishes with chef/owner David Bancroft’s unique take and a diverse culinary experience. The dining room is rustic but chic with comfortable banquettes and long communal tables and is a favorite in Auburn for family dinners and various celebrations. The big front porch is shaded in the summer and heated on cool nights by the hearth-style fireplace, perfect for al fresco dining. The menu is extensive and original, but you should not miss the Georgia quail with fermented honey hot sauce and barbecue pecan streusel or the Southern-fried catfish with Creole cream cheese grits, Lee County succotash, lemon fennel aioli, and blue crab salad.
210 E Glenn Ave, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-246-3763
Ariccia Trattoria
Located in The Hotel at Auburn University, Ariccia Trattoria is an upscale, elegant Italian restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the hotel guests as well as Auburn folks looking for an exceptional meal without making it a special occasion. The elegant patio offers al fresco dining in the cozy space surrounded by lush vegetation, an overhead pergola, and a cool fountain, creating the atmosphere of a secret garden. The menu is predominantly Italian, with great pastas, salads, and pizzas, accompanied by mostly Italian wines. Ariccia is very popular for business lunches, but its breakfast buffet is one of Auburn’s favorite traditions.
241 S College St, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-844-5140
Hamilton's on Magnolia
Located in historic downtown Auburn on Magnolia Avenue, one block from Toomer’s Corner, Hamilton's on Magnolia is an intimate, romantic restaurant with exposed brick walls, leather banquettes, original art on the walls, a large circular bar, and patio tables overlooking the street. The menu offers diverse contemporary American cuisine with top quality meats and locally sourced produce. The full bar is a popular place for after-work drinks, and the patio tables with their crisp white tablecloths are perfect for people-watching while sampling one of Hamilton’s great cocktails. There is live music every Monday. The menu is extensive, with subtle Southern influences. Not to be missed is the shareable fried green tomato and shrimp appetizer, an interesting twist on a favorite Southern classic, tempura-battered, fried, and served with balsamic sauces.
174 E Magnolia Ave, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-887-2677
The Hound
The Hound is a popular Auburn bar and restaurant owned by generations of the Hound, and now Poirier, families. Spacious, cozy, rustic, and fun all at the same time, The Hound sells delicious home-cooked American classics, top bourbon, cocktails, and 28 craft beers on tap. Their bacon is sourced from heritage breed pork and other meats that are organic and come from humanely raised animals, mostly from the Hound family farm. All produce is local and seasonal. The atmosphere in the dining room is warm and welcoming, designed to look like a hunting lodge, with animal heads on the walls, lots of reclaimed wood, exposed beams, communal tables, and the hustle and bustle of old time Alabama.
124 Tichenor Ave, Auburn, AL 36830, Phone: 334-246-3300
AMF Auburn Lanes
At AMF Auburn Lanes you will find 24 of the most modern bowling lanes, equipped with special lighting, soft seating areas and a huge wall of big screens showing anything from music videos to live sporting events and even family movies. You can get everything you need for your game at the on-site Pro Shop and shoe rental. There is also a great games arcade where non-bowlers can enjoy their favorite modern and vintage video games. The facility has a very convenient lane-side menu of snacks, meals, cocktails and craft beers which can be delivered directly to your lane. Perfect for parties, AMF Auburn Lanes can provide everything you need for a great celebration.
719 Opelika Rd, Auburn, AL 36830, 334 887 6573
Auburn Escape Zones
You can escape your everyday tedium and embrace a whole new fun experience when you visit the Auburn Escape Zones . First, you need to round up a group of friends or family and book your choice of 5 expertly designed escape rooms that will challenge your puzzle-solving abilities. The settings are very realistic and your will find yourself completely immersed in the situation. You and your team need to work together, pooling your intellectual resources if you want any chance to escape the room within the allotted 60 minutes. Themes include The Vault, Imprisoned, The Cabin, and two other rooms which revolve around Superheroes and Super villains.
1234 Commerce Drive, Auburn, AL 36830, 334 329 7088
Game Farm Park
One of the largest community parks in Auburn, Game Farm Park is home to numerous activities. The nearly 140-acre park is known for hosting a variety of organized sports and recreational activities thanks to facilities such as soccer fields, softball fields, tennis courts, and basketball courts. More relaxed parkgoers can wander through the park’s trail system and enjoy views of the gardens, ponds, and hillside scenery. Play areas and outdoor fitness equipment are also available for recreational use. Other facilities are available for rent including picnic shelters, barbecue grills, and an amphitheater. With so much for parkgoers to do, it's easy to see why Game Farm Park is one of the most frequented parks in the city.
3030 R Street Southeast, Auburn, Washington 98002, Phone: 253-931-3043
Game Farm Wilderness Park
Focused on connecting with the natural environment, Game Farm Wilderness Park is the perfect stop for nature lovers. The 10-acre riverside park boasts of its well-preserved native woodland, offering parkgoers a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of city living. Facilities include an 18-hole disc golf course, picnic shelters, and camping grounds. The park offers both day camp areas along with an RV camping area equipped with water and power hookups. There are also several trails for hiking and wildlife viewing, including the White River Trail, which extends all the way from the park’s north to east end.
2401 Stuck River Drive, Auburn, Washington 98092, Phone: 253-931-3043
Muckleshoot Casino Resort
If you’re looking for some fun and entertainment, stop by Muckleshoot Casino Resort. Owned and operated by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, this casino offers the largest smoke-free gaming facility in the state with over 3,000 video gaming machines including slots and table games. In addition to casino games, Muckleshoot Casino also hosts a regular schedule of live shows and concerts. Dining options in the resort are endless from Peking duck to Mexican and more. Visitors can also place their bets at the Caesars Sportsbook while munching on American favorites like sliders and pretzels. Whether heading out for a night with friends or a fun date, Muckleshoot Casino Resort is definitely worth checking out.
2402 Auburn Way South, Auburn, Washington 98002, Phone: 800-804-4944
Les Gove Park
Located in the heart of Auburn, Les Gove Park is a favored destination amongst locals. The park, which spans just over 20 acres, offers a variety of recreational activities as well as educational opportunities. The Les Gove Park Gymnasium hosts a year-round schedule of programs such as open gym sports, an indoor preschool playground, and rock-climbing lessons. White River Valley Museum can also be found within the park, housing several historical exhibits for those wanting to learn something new. When it comes to outdoor activities, Les Gove offers a half-mile paved trail, softball field, play structure, and water playground. Other facilities on the ground include a teen center, senior center, event center, and library.
910 9th Street Southeast, Auburn, Washington 98002, Phone: 253-931-3043
Auburn Environmental Park
Covering over 200 acres of land, Auburn Environmental Park is a gem for those who love nature and the great outdoors. It’s home to a rich ecosystem of wetlands filled with diverse wildlife including dragonflies, salamanders, Marsh Wrens, hummingbirds, Blue Herons, and many other species of birds. The wetlands can be explored through an elevated boardwalk trail, which offers great views of the surrounding scenery along with educational signs along the way for those interested in learning more about the habitat. The park’s other special-use areas include a birding tower, picnic tables, and benches for parkgoers to enjoy. If you’re interested in bird watching or simply looking for some fresh air, Auburn Environment Park is a great place to stop.
413 Western Avenue Northwest, Auburn, Washington 98001, Phone: 253-931-3043
Veterans Memorial Park
Located near downtown Auburn, Veterans Memorial Park is a popular spot amongst locals thanks to its expansive green lawn and shady woods. The 7-acre park originally opened as “City Park” in 1926, but after local veterans erected a memorial structure within the grounds in 2000, the park was renamed in their honor. The thoughtfully-designed memorial structure pays tribute to every branch of the United States Armed Forces along with the brave men and women who gave their service. In addition to the memorial, the park also features a community building, play structure, half basketball court, gardens, and outdoor barbecues. Veterans Memorial Park is a great place for parkgoers to enjoy fresh air, take a peaceful stroll amongst nature, and honor heroes who have made great sacrifices for the country.
405 East Street Northeast, Auburn, Washington 98002, Phone: 253-931-3043
Brannan Park
Commonly hosting city-sponsored sports like soccer leagues and little leagues, Brannan Park is popular for its different sporting complexes. Their facilities include a soccer field, basketball court, and a baseball complex with several lighted fields. Other sports can also be enjoyed in the park in one of its open fields along with a sizeable skate park. Runners, as well as leisure strollers, can enjoy the park’s scenery along a paved loop trail that eventually connects to the Green River Trail. The park also welcomes families looking for a relaxing afternoon outdoors with picnic tables, barbecue grills, and an excellent playground sponsored by KaBOOM! and Delta Air Lines.
1019 28th Street Northeast, Auburn, Washington 98002, Phone: 253-931-3043
